a son. Then his master had sent him to the imperial army to die without a qualm.
‘What do you wish of me now?’ Li Tao asked calmly.
Lao Sou shook his head. ‘Still insolent.’
‘I am at your mercy.’
The Old Man snorted. He wanted something more. After fifteen years of waiting, he wasn’t getting the confrontation he so eagerly wanted.
‘Where are your armies?’ Lao Sou asked.
‘By the river.’
‘What will your soldiers do if you’re not there to lead them?’
‘March on their own. An army can’t live or die by its one general.’
Lao Sou shook with anger. ‘Look at you. Bringing war upon this empire like you’re the August Emperor.’
If this was revenge, it was a twisted beyond recognition. Suyin’s hands were locked fearfully in front of her. Li Tao wanted this finished for her sake.
‘What do you want, Old Man?’ he demanded. ‘An apology on my knees?’
‘Emperor Shen and Gao’s armies gather on the other bank. You have a chance to redeem your past failure.’
‘By taking the life of another Emperor?’
‘No, boy. You have been agonising for months over this problem and the solution is in front of you. Kill Gao Shiming.’
At that, the Old Man’s hand shot out, quick as a cobra. Li Tao ducked aside as the dark blade embedded itself with a thud into a wooden pillar behind him.
Suyin sprang to her feet, but the guards restrained her. Li Tao dug his nails into his palm to keep from rushing forwards.
Lao Sou stood triumphantly. ‘There. I will even give you the knife.’
‘Is that is all you want?’ he demanded.
The Old Man snorted. ‘When I hear of your success, I will release her. And you will fulfil your duty this time.’
And that was all this was: duty. One death to make up for the one he’d failed to deliver years ago.
If murdering Gao would resolve his problems, Li Tao would have done it long ago. But Gao’s death would only urge the forces behind him to rise up. The old warlord’s army would be left in disarray—a serpent coiling and writhing without a head. It went against everything Li Tao had fought to maintain: balance, order, stability. Lao Sou was bleeding him of every last bit of will. The Old Man wanted it all back—everything he’d built in the last fifteen years.
Li Tao met Suyin’s eyes. He wished he had held her longer the last time they were together. He wished that he had given her everything she’d ever asked for.
‘It’s good to see you.’ He tried to put the world into his farewell, but he’d never had any talent with words. They fell heavy into the silence.
Suyin started to respond, but the guards took her away. She disappeared through the heavy curtain at the side of the room. Her cries became muted.
Li Tao ground his teeth together. He dragged one breath into his lungs, and then another. He couldn’t go to her. He needed to focus. Lao Sou wouldn’t harm her if he did what he was told. That was the entire purpose of this game. Control.
The only way he could guarantee Suyin’s safety was to kill Gao. The elder warlord already planned to meet with him. Even with the guards surrounding Gao, he could do it. A single man with a blade.
The coldness seeped into his skin as he accepted the inevitable. This is what he had been trained to do. His body remembered.
This was the last he’d ever see of Suyin. She had been frightened and he could do nothing but watch as she was dragged away. There was at least one small comfort his last act would earn him: Gao would no longer threaten Suyin.
Li Tao faced his former master. ‘If you hurt her—’
Lao Sou dismissed him with a snort. ‘Go. And don’t disappoint me again, Tao.’
Suyin swiveled against the henchmen who held her. Tears stung at the corners of her eyes and her knees threatened to collapse.
Li Tao had come for her. She could hardly believe it. He had always insisted on discipline and control. Even when they argued. He fought for it when they made love. Seeing him had filled her with hope, but all hope fell away when she saw the look in his eyes. They were flat and devoid of light. Dead.
The Old Man would now destroy him for this one weakness, the weakness she’d caused. He was still so close. She could sense him. If she called out to him, Li Tao would come rushing back to her and the assassins